Management Chapter 16

Front 1

Communication

Back 1

The sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.

Front 2

Importance of Good Communication

Back 2

Increased efficiency in new technologies and skills
Improved quality of products and services
Increased responsiveness to customers
More innovation through communication

Front 3

Phases of the Communication Process:

Back 3

Transmission phase in which information is shared by two or more people.
Feedback phase in which a common understanding is assured.

Front 4

The Communication Process

Back 4

Sender – person wishing to share information with some other person

Message – what information to communicate

Encoding – sender translates the message into symbols or language

Noise – refers to anything that hampers any stage of the communication process

Receiver – person or group for which the message is intended

Medium – pathway through which an encoded message is transmitted to a receiver

Decoding - critical point where the receiver interprets and tries to make sense of the message

Front 5

Verbal Communication

Back 5

The encoding of messages into words, either written or spoken

Front 6

Nonverbal

Back 6

The encoding of messages by means of facial expressions, body language, and styles of dress.

Front 7

Perception

Back 7

process through which people select, organize, and interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to the world around them
Influenced by people’s personalities, values, attitudes and moods as well as their experience and knowledge

Front 8

Biases

Back 8

systematic tendencies to use information about others in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions

Front 9

Stereotypes

Back 9

simplified and often inaccurate beliefs about the characteristics of particular groups of people
can interfere with the encoding and decoding of messages

Front 10

Information Richness and Communication Media

Back 10

Managers and their subordinates can become effective communicators by:
Selecting an appropriate medium for each message—there is no one “best” medium.
Considering information richness
A medium with high richness can carry much more information to aid understanding.

Front 11

Information richness

Back 11

The amount of information that a communication medium can carry
The extent to which the medium enables the sender and receiver to reach a common understanding

Front 12

Face-to-Face

Back 12

Has highest information richness.

Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.

Provides for instant feedback.

Management by wandering around takes advantage of this with informal talks to workers.

Video conferences provide much of this richness and reduce travel costs and meeting times.

Front 13

Spoken Communication Electronically Transmitted

Back 13

Has the second highest information richness.
Telephone conversations are information rich with tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.

Front 14

Personally Addressed Written Communication

Back 14

Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of communication, but still is directed at a given person.
Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually reads the message—personal letters and e-mail are common forms.

Does not provide instant feedback to the sender although sender may get feedback later.
Excellent media for complex messages requesting follow-up actions by receiver.

Front 15

Email do’s and don’ts

Back 15

E-mail allows telecommuting employees to work from home and keep in contact.
The use of e-mail is growing rapidly and e-mail etiquette is expected:
Typing messages in all CAPITALS is seen as “screaming” at the receiver.
Punctuate your messages for easy reading and don’t ramble on.
Pay attention to spelling and treat the message like a written letter.

Front 16

Impersonal Written Communication

Back 16

Has the lowest information richness.
Good for messages to many receivers where little feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters, reports)

Many managers do not have time to read all the electronic work-related information available to them
Problem with information overload is the potential for important information to be ignored or overlooked
Can result in lost productivity

Front 17

Communication Networks

Back 17

The pathways along which information flows in groups and teams and throughout the organization.

Front 18

Type of communication network depends on:

Back 18

The nature of the group’s tasks
The extent to which group members need to communicate with each other to achieve group goals.

Front 19

Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

Back 19

Wheel Network
Information flows to and from one central member.
Chain Network
Members communicate only with the people next to them in the sequence.
Wheel and chain networks provide little interaction.
Circle Network
Members communicate with others close to them in terms of expertise, experience, and location.
All-Channel Network
Networks found in teams with high levels of communications between each member and all others.

Front 20

Organization Chart

Back 20

Summarizes the formal reporting channels in an organization.

Communication in an organization flows through formal and informal pathways

Vertical communications flow up and down the corporate hierarchy.

Horizontal communications flow between employees of the same level.

Informal communications can span levels and departments

Grapevine - an informal network carrying unofficial information throughout the firm.

Front 21

Technological Advances in Communication

Back 21

Internet
Global system of computer networks that is easy to join and is used by employees to communicate inside and outside their companies

World Wide Web (WWW)
“Business district” with multimedia capabilities

Intranets
A company-wide system of computer networks for information sharing by employees inside the firm.

Advantages of intranets
Lies in their versatility as a communication medium

Can be used for a number of different purposes by people who may have little expertise in computer software and programming

Front 22

Groupware

Back 22

Computer software that enables members of groups and teams to share information with each other and improve communication and performance

Front 23

How to Be Successful Using Groupware

Back 23

Work is team-based and members are rewarded for group performance

Groupware has full support of top management

Culture of the organization stresses flexibility

Groupware is being used for a specific purpose

Employees receive adequate training

Front 24

Employees are likely to resist using groupware when:

Back 24

people are working primarily on their own
people are rewarded for their own individual performances
People are reluctant to share information

Front 25

Collaboration software

Back 25

groupware that aims to promote collaborative, highly interdependent interactions among members of a team and provide the team with an electronic meeting site for communication

Provides members of a team with an online work site where they can post, share, and save data, reports, sketches, and other documents

Front 26

Barriers to Effective Communication

Back 26

Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to understand

Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium

Messages with no provision for feedback

Messages that are received but ignored

Messages that are misunderstood

Messages delivered through automated systems that lack the human element

Front 27

Communication Skills for Managers as Senders

Back 27

Send clear and complete messages.
Encode messages in symbols the receiver understands.
Select a medium appropriate for the message
Select a medium the receiver monitors
Avoid filtering and information distortion
Include a feedback mechanism is in the message.
Provide accurate information to avoid rumors.

Front 28

Jargon

Back 28

specialized language that members of an occupation, group, or organization develop to facilitate communication among themselves

should never be used when communicating with people outside the occupation, group, or organization